Through the construction of a biologically degradable waste composting facility, the Slovak town of Handlová has improved municipal waste prevention, recycling and recovery. The town also acquired waste containers, collection vehicles and equipment for waste processing inside the facility. The project has led to several new jobs, both for the facility and through the services it is providing for the municipality.
- 29 May 2020
The project has built a composting area with an estimated annual capacity of up to 1 350 tonnes of biodegradable waste. We also acquired bins, collecting vehicles and service equipment for separation and material recovery of biodegradable waste. Over the past year, the project has helped reduce municipal waste by more than 650 tonnes.
The new composting facility has been constructed 1.2 km from the town’s residential area. With a surface of approximately 1 000 m2, it has several 30 m3 waste containers and compost heaps.
The project’s funding allowed the municipality to acquire a mobile woodchipper and tractor, two modern waste collection trucks and special biologically degradable waste (BDW) collection bins located strategically throughout the municipality.
Separating, collecting and processing BDW
During the pruning season, the woodchipper is taken through residential areas and the town’s parks in weekly cycles to process cuttings, after which trucks pick up the remains for transportation to the composting facility.
Throughout the rest of the year, the new collection trucks collect BDW from residents and deliver compost. The compost that comes from the facility is filled with nutrients and humus and can be used as organic fertilizer to maintain and feed flower beds and grass.
Turning the town’s waste into quality compost
With a population of 136 554 residents, Handlová is the second largest town in the Trenčín region. The town produces approximately 800 tonnes of BDW each year, which used to end up on dumps around the city.
The new composting facility has an annual processing capacity of 1 350 tonnes. It opened halfway during 2019 and set up a new and improved waste management system for the entire municipality. In its first year of operations, it processed over 650 tonnes of communal waste. The facility is expected to reach its full processing capacity in the next year.
The new waste management system has already proven popular among residents, as some households have asked for two or more BDW collection bins and inquired into the possibility of more frequent collections.
Through the new composting facility, its equipment and the services it is providing, the town has significantly improved its waste management and optimised processing of biodegradable waste.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “CFH – Composting facility Handlova” is EUR 891 022, with the EU’s Cohesion Fund contributing EUR 757 368 through the “Quality of Environment” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “Sustainable use of natural resources through environmental infrastructure development”.